Dreamcatcher
by hatterlet
Summary: One can only survive in a dream for so long. But what happens when you get the choice between dreams and reality? Dr.C/Susan
1. Chapter 1

"BUGGER!"

As his final, precious, ancient radio tube burst into purple flames, Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D and proclaimed 1/5 savior of the world, violently kicked his latest Susan-shrinking machine. His test subject, the ever patient and understanding Susan Murphy, otherwise known in the hero circles as Ginormica, sighed, smiled, and removed the various probes (namely a toilet bowl brush and a turkey baster) from her left ear and nostril.

"It's all right, Doctor. We can try again tomorrow." She lifted her forty-nine foot frame surprisingly gracefully from her appropriately sized chair and slowly walked to her steel room, a slight twinge evident in her right ankle from the most current test. The titanium blast door descended over the entrance way and she disappeared from view.

Dr. Cockroach watched her go, his antennae drooping sorrowfully. More so than anyone else in this facility, Susan was his other half, his partner-in-crime. Link had Butterflyasaurus, Bob had Jello. The Doctor had Susan. It was a logical partnership- they had both been human at one point (Susan still, unless you counted the tiny problem of her abnormal heighth) both with lives they had left behind, people they had loved… he sighed, returning to his gently smoldering machine.

"What's up, Doc?" asked a chuckling Link as he swung past ape-like on his knuckles. Dr. Cockroach fixed him with a scathing stare.

"I should have never discovered those old 'Looney Tune' DVDs in the dumpster." He said, digging through his dilapidated cooler-turned-toolbox to find a socket wrench. Link stopped, stunned.

"What's got your lab-coat in a twist?" he asked. The Doctor turned to look at him, then closed his eyes, allowing the wrench to fall from his grasp with a clatter. "Aw, come on, doc, it's not the first time you've blown something up. It won't be the last time."

"It's not that, Link!" Dr. Cockroach said sharply, jerking his head in the fish-man's direction, golden eyes narrowed in anger and anteannae twitching. "I- I hurt her. She's so good and patient, letting me test on her. All I want to do is to help her, to return her to her normal size. But I haven't managed to do that. All I've done is give her pain, physically and emotionally." He glanced again at the steel panel covering Susan's quarters. He sighed once more, before turning and heading for his own room. "Tell Monger he can take out the trash." He said flatly, gesturing mildly at the pile of garbage that had for a moment been a working machine. As he slowly walked away, he unbuttoned his white coat, letting it fall from his fingers as the door clanged shut.

…..

That night, Dr. Cockroach lay curled sideways on his bunk, staring blankly across the room. Of all the failures he had encountered in his life, this had to be the worst. _Failing her…. _Finally giving up on sleep, he swung his legs over the side of the shelf that served as his bed and cradled his insect head in his human hands.

Dealing with emotions was a hard thing to do when surrounded by less advanced creatures. Yes, Bob carried around a plate of lime Jello (Which now included Susan's discarded engagement ring, a gift from Bob, it's fiancé), and Link told of his glory days chasing girls on Coco Beach. But neither of them had ever really dealt with true emotions. As the years passed, Dr. Cockroach eventually developed a sort of wall between his intellect and all other functions his brain performed for him. He began to forget the people he had known before the incident. His whole life, his whole world, was contained inside the few steel and plexiglass walls of the base.

Then she came. Susan. With her sparkling eyes and a wit to match, undefeatable strength and a heart of gold. Dr. Cockroach's emotional barriers crumbled instantly. He wept inside as she told her story, of loss and heartbreak, and vowed to himself to protect her and keep her safe.

But what had he done? He had failed her. He had treated her as a glorified guinea pig and caused her pain. After all the years of isolation and emotional vacuum, Dr. Cockroach could not take it anymore. For once, he was going to be entirely selfish. He had to forget her to continue the work the world needed.

As his decision was made, Dr. Cockroach sprang to life. He retrieved his coat from the corner he had kicked it into earlier, then began digging through his toybox to find the supplies he would need. Emotions were simply hormonal impulses, in short, chemicals flowing through the body. If he could isolate them, he could extract them. His golden eyes shining with the thrill of discovery, he held back a bubble of maniacal laughter that attempted to burst forth. Instead, his shoulders shook in silent glee as his plan took shape.

……

The next day dawned with the absence of Susan. The remaining monsters gathered around their table for breakfast, missing the prescence of their largest member. Bob squeezed himself under her door, coming back with a message that consisted of a headache and a desire for sleep. Dr. Cockroach bowed his head, feeling a burden pressing harder against him. His plan had to work. He could not continue to go on this way.

That night, he put his theory into effect. He dubbed it the Dreamcatcher, after the Native American objects of similar name. If all went according to plan, the Dreamcatcher should be able to extract all hormonal chemicals from the body and store them for later use, if necessary.

Dr. Cockroach took one last look around his chamber. Over the years they had been 'imprisoned' there, he had amassed a collection of sorts. He had plastered the walls with newspaper clippings discovered during his 'toybox' forays, or photographs of himself and the other monsters taken with a homemade camera he had cobbled together from an oatmeal can and a set of old eyeglasses.

He sighed, allowing a wave of regret, lonliness, and despair wash over him one last time. These would be the last emotions he would feel. With one last deep breath, he stepped onto the Dreamcatcher's activation pad and flipped the switch.

…..

He was standing in a void. All around was white light, as far as the eye could see. He could hear a voice, but he couldn't place it. Using what little senses left to him in this senseless vacuum, he targeted in on the sound and began walking towards it.

As he grew nearer to the sound, he recognized a very familiar figure, although he was used to seeing only an ankle, or perhaps an eye of this figure. Instead, a very normal-sized Susan sat on the ground, playing with a tabby kitten.

"Susan?" he asked incredulously. She glanced up, startled. As soon as she turned her attention away from the kitten, it mewed pathetically and disappeared.

"Yes?" she asked, voice trembling. "Can I help you, sir?" She got to her feet, displaying once and for all that she was back to her normal size.

"Susan, my dear, it's me. Dr. Cockroach. Where are we?" She continued to look at him quizzically.

"You're not Dr. C. He has antennas, among other things." She said, voice beginning to quaver slightly.

The Doctor looked at her for a moment, dread beginning to well up within him.

"Of course I have antennas-" he said, reaching up a hand. But instead of feelers and hard exoskeleton, he found thick hair. His hands traveled down his face, revealing a nose, dramatically smaller eyes-

"Oh dear."

* * *

A/N- Well, I hope you all liked this. Let me know if you think I should continue. I loved this movie, but I've found some of the theories on here somewhat implausible, so here is my take. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! Thanks for the support guys! I never thought this would go anywhere. Well, without further ado, chapter 2! (heh, that rhymed...)

***

Something had gone terribly, horribly wrong. Dr. Cockroach wandered around his wide, white prison, trying to understand what exactly was going on. As he paced, looking for a door, a window, a corner seam, anything, a terrified white haired woman watched him warily.

Finally giving up on his search, the Doctor sighed and lowered himself to the floor opposite Susan, pulling his legs into something resembling the lotus position. His invention had failed again that was plain to see. In the meantime, he was stranded in a white wasteland with a doppelganger of Susan who quailed and quaked at his very presence, a dramatic difference from the strong, brave Susan he knew.

"Alright, my dear, what can you tell me about our current situation?" She opened her mouth, still eyeing him carefully.

"I don't know about you, sir, but I am simply experiencing a particularly nasty nightmare." She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

Dr. Cockroach blanched- a particular coloring he was unable to achieve in his normal, insect state. Nightmare, the DreamCatcher, Susan's susceptibility due to her experimentation, it all made perfect sense. Somehow, the DreamCatcher's malfunction had launched him (mentally? Physically? He wasn't quite sure) into the subconscious of Susan. Apparently, his experimentation had done more than give her a pained ankle- it had returned her dream-state to that of pre-Ginormica Susan.

"Susan, dear, I'm so sorry," he said, reaching forward to grasp one of her hands.

"For what?" she replied, drawing her hand out of his reach. "The only thing wrong here is the fact that this particular dream is trying to convince me that this strange man who has suddenly appeared is actually my dear insect friend. You sir," she proclaimed, eyes whisking across the Doctor's sitting form, "are no insect."

Dr. Cockroach immediately began thinking. If Susan shut down, switched to the next stage of her sleep cycle, he might be trapped within her subconscious. _Not that that would necessarily be a bad thing_ said a sneaky little voice in the back of his mind, which he promptly ignored. Instantly, he thought up a convincing argument.

"Insect? Oh dear- Cockroach!" he chortled lightheartedly, patting her gently on the knee. This time she did not draw away. "You thought I said Cockroach, didn't you? No no, it's Coch_ran_. Dr. Nigel Cochran at your service." He winced slightly, even though it had been years since anyone had used his real name. It did bring back some painful memories.

"Dr. Cochran?" She asked, suspicion lacing her voice. "Why are you here?"

"Ahm, well-" Dr. Cockroach fumbled for a workable answer. As Susan began to doubt this strange addition to her dream, the edges of the white void began to fizzle. "I am here as your conscience!" _Blast. She'll never buy that. You saw too many cartoons. Besides, the only bug that can moonlight as a conscience is a cricket! _Just then, Susan broke into a wide smile.

"Oh, my conscience! That's fantastic!" She beamed at her companion.

Dr. Cockroach- er, Cochran, stared at her, dumbfounded. He was beginning to think that he did not care much for this version of Susan. She was weak, scared, and not particularly bright. He had to find a way to help her.

"So, Susan," he said, pulling out hi ever present notepad. "Tell me a little bit about yourself. " He sat with pen poised above paper as his subject again eyed him uneasily.

"If you are my conscience, Doctor, shouldn't you know all this?" The doctor smiled. Dream states were amazing things- a person could be made to believe almost anything.

"Of course, dear. But some of it I would like to hear from you. And of course, I am relatively new to this job." He smiled slightly at her, and was gifted with a dazzling smile of her own in return.

***

There was no way to measure the passage of time here. After what felt like hours, Susan asked to end the interview session. Doctor Cochran folded his notepad and returned it to the inside pocket of his coat. As the time had passed, the woman had become increasingly more comfortable with her new friend.

"So, am I sane, Doc?" she asked, nudging the Doctor playfully. He smiled slightly.

"Susan, am your conscience, not your therapist. I'll be willing to help you in any way I can, but I can't diagnose you with anything." she sobered slightly.

"Oh. Ok. Well, I guess I better turn in-" she looked off in the distance and a obnoxiously pink and frilly bed popped into existence. The doctor took the hint and stood, helping her to her feet as well. The sooner he could get Susan back to normal, she faster he could avoid her populating her dream state with that type of thing.

"Of course. Now Susan, I'm only going to be here while you are awake," he said, assuming that this dream Susan would sleep while the real Susan was awake. "When you wake up, just call for me and I'll come back, alright?" the woman nodded. "Smashing. Now, how to I get out of here?" he asked, nervous that she wouldn't know.

"Oh, that." she said, waving a hand dismissively and emitting a strange _pshaw_ noise. "You just go out the back door." As she said that, a white door appeared. "You promise you will come back?" she caught his arm as he started to reach for the door handle. Touched by her gesture, he took her hand and gently kissed it. "I promise."

Susan smiled, and crawled into her bed. The doctor watched as she drifted off to sleep and the white void began to grow dark. At the last possible minute, he opened the door. Through it's frame he could see his own form, slumped over the control panel of the DreamCatcher in his dreary cell.

"Until tomorrow, my darling." he whispered, then darted through the door.

***

Dr. Cockroach awoke, a catch in his back from his awkward sleeping position, but nothing more serious in the way of damage. he began to take stock of his surroundings when a female voice jolted him from his reverie-

"Dr. Cockroach!"


	3. Chapter 3

Again, thanks guys. What an overwhelming response! I'm sorry it takes so long for updates. I'm in college, and working, and I forget I do things like this. This chapter is a bit longer, I hope that makes up for it.

* * *

The sudden intrusion of a female voice on Dr. Cockroach's sensitive insect ears was a shock to the system. The scientist jerked; rolling off the platform he had fallen asleep on and into a fighting position. _ Oh dear. Old habits die hard_. He righted himself and slammed a hand on the button to raise his blast door.

"Susan?" he called out, whisking his eyes across the monster's common area for the tall woman. He found her, all right, sitting atop their dining table, twirling her ankle merrily.

"Doc! You're awake. Bob said he smelled smoke coming from your cell last night, and I was worried." The doctor would have blushed if his exoskeleton would have allowed him. Even after everything he had put her through, she was still worried about him.

"Oh, don't worry a fig about me, my dear. Smoke and explosions seem to follow me everywhere I go." As if on cue, a rattling _kaboom_ echoed from his vacant cell, as well as a great deal of acrid black smoke. He glanced back over his shoulder, eyes narrowed, as Bob glided guiltily out.

"Sorry, Doc." the blue blob said apologetically. "I just wanted to see what smelled so bad last night."

"Congratulations Bob, you've just made more of it." Dr. Cockroach rubbed one hand over his knobbly skull, pushing his antennae back, and then stalked off to his room to assess the damage. He waved his arms about to clear the smoke, and could only gape at the scene before him. To his horror, Bob had upset the flux generator and flooded the main power grid on the Dreamcatcher. This couldn't be happening. _I promised Susan I would come back…_

"Dr. Cockroach?" Susan poked her head through the door, all of her that would fit. "What's wrong, what did Bob break this time?" the insect spun and pressed his back against the slightly scorched machine so Susan couldn't see it.

"Nothing, nothing, poppet. Just a little pet project of mine. I call it, ahm, the Dreamcatcher." Susan nodded, seeming to understand.

"Ah. Dreams. I had a wonderful dream last night, Doc." a slender wrist snaked into the room, accompanied by a hand that proceeded to prop her head up. "I thought I was going crazy, because there was this strange handsome man who said he was you!" she laughed, clear bell tones reverberating around the room and the Doctor's head. _Handsome man…?_ Again, he thanked his lucky stars that his insect form did not accommodate ill-timed blushing.

"Fancy that. Why in the world would he say that?" he asked, listening as he slowly started to rebuild his machine.

"I'm not sure. He said I just misunderstood him, that his name was Cochran, not Cockroach, and that he was my conscience. I thought only crickets could be consciences, but I guess I was wrong."

Dr. Cockroach listened to her recount her dream detail by detail. Once he almost interrupted to correct her, then remembered that he wouldn't actually know that. He had just finished draining the liquid from the power core when Susan suddenly withdrew all appendages from his room. He glanced up, the sudden permeation of light momentarily blinding him as she stopped blocking the entrance.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" he asked, following her out with a jug full of noxious orange fluid.

"Oh, no, not at all. I just wanted to show you something." Susan propped herself back up on the table and presented her ankle. "Look, Doc, all better!" Indeed, as she began twisting it to and fro for his observation.

"Oho! Let me see." the doctor scurried forward and up her shoe. He placed one hand on either side of her ankle and prodded it gently. Susan giggled. "My dear, I believe you are right. May I apologize for causing you the anguish in the first place." He slid off her foot and swept her a small bow.

"It's really not a big deal. Just a bit annoying really. Um, Bob?" her attention was suddenly diverted by the entrance of the blue gelatinous mass.

"Hey, kool-aid! Awesome!" Bob grasped both sides of the jug Dr. Cockroach had set down moments before, then downed the contents.

"Bob, no!" Dr. Cockroach darted forward, but it was too late. Bob was already smacking his lips in contentment. The doctor and Susan watched in horror as Bob began to glow slowly.

"Oh dear. Hit the deck!" the doctor yelled. Susan overturned the massive table and scooped up the insect. They both ducked behind it as a muffled bang shook the room.

"Whoa. What was that?" Link asked, swinging his way in. Dr. Cockroach climbed up to the edge of the table and peered over. Through the cloudy haze, he could just make out the fish-man as he approached a thin layer of ooze spread across the floor.

"Wow! That was fun!" Bob's voice said. All three monsters watched in amazement as the sticky residue coalesced into the familiar form of Bob. However, something was strange.

"Um, guys, have I always been purple?"

***

Late that evening, when all the other monsters were asleep, the doctor put the finishing touches on his machine. It turns out that Bob had not in fact destroyed it, just shorted out a few fuses. In a matter of moments it was humming merrily again. Without hesitation, Dr. Cockroach stepped onto the platform. Just as he was about to touch the activation pad, a sudden bout of self-consciousness overtook him. He straightened his lab coat and tried again to smooth back his antennae. When he had finished, he gently flipped the switch.

***

Again, the doctor found himself extremely disoriented. True, he was no longer in his dull cell, but nor was he in the vast blankness of Susan's dreams.

"Doctor!" He heard a voice. Turning, he saw Susan racing towards him across the grassy meadow, a huge smile on her face. "I'm so glad you came back! I thought you wouldn't."

As she reached him, he reached out a hand to her. He caught her wrist and pulled it to his lips for a kiss. She blushed and giggled.

"I promised you I would come back. I will never break a promise to you. I promise." he dropped her hand and looked around. "Susan, where are we?"

"What, this?" she glanced around. "Oh, I know this. This is the day Derek and I met. See, there we are." Dr. Cockroach looked where she was pointing to see two young teenagers racing up the hill towards them, hand in hand. He glanced away, unable to look. The children giggled and teased one another while Susan looked on. " I thought he was everything." she murmured, arms crossed in front of her. "I would have done anything for him, the arrogant, narcisstic, a-"

"Susan-" the doctor cut her off. She broke away from the flirting couple to look at him.

"Yes, I suppose you are right." Immediately, the scene began to fade, replacing itself with the barren whiteness that Dr. Cockroach was used to. "Oh well. I don't need Derek anymore."

"Oh?" asked the doctor, pulling out his notebook again. Susan looked up at him and giggled.

"More notes, Doc?"

"Susan, I am your conscience. I need to keep a good record of these things." She gave a fake sigh of resignation.

"Oh all right. Well, see, I'm what they call a monster. I'm really forty nine feet tall, although I don't look it here. And I have these friends, who are also monsters. There's Bob, who's a moving pile of blue jello, and Link, who's half fish and half person." she paused, and Dr. Cockroach felt his heart skip a beat. "And then there's Dr. Cockroach. I don't really know how to explain him." She laid back on the floor, arms behind her head. The doctor sat beside her.

"What makes him different?" he asked. She looked back up at him.

" I don't know. He used to be human, like me. Maybe that's what it is. He's different than Link or Bob, and I've never quite figured out why. At first the bug head scared me, but now…." she trailed off sleepily.

"Susan?" but she was gone. The white began to fuzz out again. The doctor leapt to his feet, frantically searching for the door. Slowly, one began to form. He ran towards it, casting one last look at Susan's sleeping body before leaping back into his own.

* * *

Thanks for reading! If you have suggestions for further story development, leave them in the reviews! Thanks :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hey Guys! I am so so sorry it took so long to get an update out. Every time I remember to work on it, I can't think of anything, and then I get more reviews, and it's a horrible circle that I can't escape from. The story is not yet done, but updates are kind of few and far between. I hope you all like this!

* * *

"Monsters!"

Dr. Cockroach tumbled off his bunk and hit the floor on hands and knees, antennae quivering in expectation. When no further commotion came than Monger shouting for all the monsters to turn out, he relaxed and picked himself up off the floor. Scurrying through his rising door, he noticed Bob and Link both assembled. Susan was nowhere in sight.

"Nice to see ya up and about, Doctor." said Monger as the insect joined the ranks. The Doctor glanced up and down the line, looking for the obvious Susan. As if on cue, Link spoke up.

"Monger, where's Susan?" The general chuckled.

"Well, Monsters, we have a bit of a situation here." He snapped his fingers and all the lights went out. Dr. Cockroach rolled his eyes. For such a stickler, Monger certainly did have a flair for the dramatic. As he watched, he grew grudgingly more impressed. A three-dimensional hologram was materializing in the air just beyond the line of monsters. Monger was circling it like a vulture. The last few bytes of hologram fell into place, and the image began to move. It was Susan, racing through the forest. The trees must have been huge, though, since they were nearly as tall as she was. Suddenly, an enormous figure burst through the foliage and took Susan to the ground. The doctor started and reached out a hand towards the hologram.

"Ginormica took on a special mission late last night, Monsters. She is currently in the great Redwood forest, battling some unknown creature. She took Insectosaurus, so we have no way of getting you to her. And trust me, she needs your help." The hologram, which featured Susan struggling against the beast, faded out into motes. "I'm not going to sugar-coat it, boys. We have a problem.

"We're all over it, Boss." Link gave a mocking salute and hurriedly swung his way back to his quarters. Bob nodded, scooting across the floor. Dr. Cockroach took one last look at the place where Susan's image was fading.

"General, wait!" he cried, throwing out a hand. "Turn the hologram back on." Puzzled, the General pressed a button on his wristwatch and the hologram flashed back into life. Susan was struggling along the ground, pursued by the creature. The massive hand reached out, picked her up, and threw her against one of the huge trees. She cried out, and was still. Link darted forward, but Bob looked down at Dr. Cockroach. The moment Susan's head fell, he had collapsed. Miles apart, both of them lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

Dr. Cockroach awakened to a raging storm. Blackness was everywhere except where tongues of flame fell from the sky, all whipped about by a seething wind.

"Susan!" he howled over the tempest. He raced about in the darkness, looking for her. Finally, almost despairing that he would lose Susan as well as be trapped in this hell, he tripped. Looking down, he saw by the light of a flame that he had found her. Curled on her side, Susan lay unmoving. "Susan. Susan!" he shrieked, shaking her shoulders. She opened her eyes, but they wouldn't focus. Slowly they closed again. "No, Susan, blast it!" Rearing back, he slapped her hard across the face. Instantly she was awake, clutching her cheek and looking indignant. With a sob of relief, the doctor pulled her to his chest in a tight embrace.

"Doctor? What's going on?" she asked, groggily, pushing herself back from him. Reluctantly he let her go before helping her to her feet. "I don't know Susan. You are unconscious. This isn't how this is supposed to work.

He looked about, much of his vision obscured by the flares. A distant rumble met his ears, and he turned to see Susan go flying, screaming his name. Dr. Cockroach raced after her but when he reached her, she was growing more and more transparent. "Doc, I think I'm waking-" and she disappeared.

Dr. Cockroach stared at the place Susan had occupied. She was gone, but he was still here. A gut-wrenching crack met his ears as a gaping chasm opened up mere feet from him. Desperately he looked around, looking for that white door that always appeared. Instead he found more chasms. Susan's unconscious was breaking up because she was no longer in it. Then why was he still there? He blanched. His work with the DreamCatcher must have tied their subconciousnesses together. When she fainted earlier, he was pulled through by force. But now what? He had no idea where he was, or how far he was from his own body.

A small crack formed beneath his feet. Lost in thought, though, he didn't notice until it was too late. The small crack wickedly yawned, opening up a hole that the doctor instantly fell into. Panicking, the man reached out and caught a protrusion, trying to avoid falling into the depths. For a moment he was safe, but then the rock began to crumble beneath his fingers. He had no idea where the bottom of this hole would take him, but he wasn't taking any chances. Still scrabbling for purchase on the rough wall, he leaned his head against the stone and whispered gently, leaving Susan a message for the next time she dreamed.

"Susan-" he whispered, so low he couldn't even hear himself "I love-" but the chasm was having no part of it, and shattered beneath his grip. He disappeared into the darkness.

Thunder. Or at least that's what it sounded like. He opened his eyes. Oh. Not thunder. Just trees falling.

Trees Falling! Instantly, Dr. Cockroach was awake. He rolled to avoid the gigantic redwood tree falling directly towards him. However, he didn't move quite fast enough, watching as the tree fell on top of his outstretched leg. He steeled himself for the mind-numbing pain, but it never came. Cracking one eye, he looked back at what he was sure was a pool of blood running out from beneath the massive tree. But it wasn't. He gave his leg an experimental tug and watched in amazement as it passed through the trunk with no resistance. Shocked, he looked down at his hands. He could see bits of forest loam beneath his palms. He hesitantly lifted a hand, which felt solid enough, and touched his face. No bug eyes or antennas. Still the hair and the nose.

So not only was he ethereal, he still looked like his old self.

What had gone wrong?


End file.
